2013 Cadillac ATS: First Look

Having moved fully into competition with the best of the luxury and performance brands from Germany and Japan in terms of quality--though not yet volume--with the CTS and its many variants, Cadillac now seeks to build its portfolio of world-class cars. The upcoming XTS large sedan will sit above the CTS, but it may be the ATS that does the most to contribute to sales figures and the bottom line--but only if it's a home run.

Why? Because the 2013 ATS faces off against the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, both brand new this year, and both fantastic mid-level luxury sedans in their own right. The ATS will need to be at least as good, if not better, to win customers away and build its own base. From what we can see in this preview, it's off to a good start.

Styled to reflect Cadillac's Art & Science design philosophy while presenting a fresh and unique face, the ATS doesn't copy Cadillac's own cars or anyone elses, instead striking out its own ground, and doing it with bold lines, strong proportions, and elegant details.

According to Cadillac's Don Butler, vice president of marketing, the ATS was also designed with an eye toward sportiness: “Designed with quick, nimble and fun-to-drive dynamics, ATS expands Cadillac’s portfolio into a crucial global segment. For a new group of luxury consumers, this is a car that will fit their lifestyle and challenge the segment’s status quo.”

OK, so it looks pretty sharp. But what about the hard figures? Those look pretty good, too.

Weighing in at less than 3,400 pounds, it's right on par with, if not lighter than, its core German and Japanese rivals. Weight balance is nearly 50/50, it features a MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear, and it offers driver-adjustable magnetic-ride dampers.

Engine options are perhaps the highlight of the ATS, offering more choices and, in some cases, more power, than rivals with a 270-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder, and a 3.6-liter, 318-horsepower V-6. Further down the track, a highly-efficient turbodiesel is expected too.

All-wheel drive is also available, as is a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions--though it's not clear if the manual will be available with all-wheel drive. For those that don't opt to drive all four wheels, rear-drive will be standard.

Electronics and features are another important element in the luxury sedan segment, and the ATS offers Cadillac's new CUE infotainment system, which uses an 8-inch LCD multi-touch capacitive screen to interface with the in-car computer, which can store up to 10 Bluetooth phone connections, read SD and USB memory, and interface with MP3 players, as well as respond to voice commands. Keyless entry, push-button start, a 5.7-inch reconfigurable instrument panel LCD display, full-color reconfigurable heads-up display, and more are also available.

Also packaged in the ATS is a host of available safety technology, including adaptive cruise control, brake assist, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, rear-view camera, adaptive lighting, and hill hold/hill start assist, which is standard with manual transmission cars.

For all of the details, including a detailed spec sheet, read the full release on page two.

WOW, WOW, WOW! Good job Cadillac. Those stats are very impressive. I can't wait to test drive one!

Dom
Posted: 1/8/2012 12:21pm PST

Any word on when /if it could come to the UK? could be the first to eat into the german auto monoploy for rep cars.

themishmosh
Posted: 1/10/2012 11:07am PST

Styling is not aggressive enough. That says "chick car" all over it. No way will that compete with A4, Bmw3, G37. At least they got the curb weight right.

Larry
Posted: 1/11/2012 11:52am PST

The BMW 3 is the biggest "chick" car on the planet!!

WizardsLore
Posted: 1/10/2012 5:43pm PST

im with themishmosh. styling is boring. and in adjusting the front end to not be so front heavy like every other Caddy they have made it efeminite. the rear still retains the Nissan Primera rear end treatment. The designers have missed a golden opportunity for Caddy to make inroads into the luxo market.
Now they will remain in that limbo space between good quality cheaper cars like the Mondeo and Camry, and the BMs and Mercs.